My adult daughter insists that policyholders pay higher rates for red cars and that they get more tickets. I told her no way, but she knows better. What does SigForum say?

My red car is more than my blue SUV; she must be right.

Not that I ever saw working in the insurance industry. Color wasn't even a question, and it is not part of the data that gets pulled from the VIN.


Red cars being stolen more often or being a bigger target for speeding is an old wives tale.

I’ve never been asked what color my car is from an insurance agent. They could get it from the vin# I suppose.

I have heard that red cars do get more tickets but that’s probably a visibility thing in a sea of grey and black.

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My adult daughter insists that policyholders pay higher rates for red cars and that they get more tickets.

Ask her to show you her proof.

Nope, tain't true.. Here's yer fack check

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Do red cars cost more to insure?
Last updated: June 2020

You may have heard red cars are more expensive to insure. But, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III), the color of the car you drive does not affect the price of auto insurance. Here are some of the factors that help determine your auto premium and what to look for when shopping for car insurance.

It's all about the number of doors. 2 doors = coup. Must be a sports car. 4 doors = sedan. Must be boring.

My WRX gets the same rate as any other sedan (multiplied by value). Color doesn't matter.

Thanks guys.

My Corvette convertible insurance is $528 per year. My Nissan Altima 4 banger is $1,042 a year. Both are red. Same coverage. Figure that one out!

Sometimes the number of vehicles you own affects the coverage. You can’t drive them all at the same time. I have 5 motorcycles, under $300/yr. for all of them (not each).

There may be a correlation between the type of drivers who buy and drive red cars, and that might tilt the statistics.

flashguy

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Originally posted by ryan81986:
Not that I ever saw working in the insurance industry. Color wasn't even a question, and it is not part of the data that gets pulled from the VIN.


Red cars being stolen more often or being a bigger target for speeding is an old wives tale.

I grew up hearing it referred to as "Arrest Me Red".

When I fixed cars for a living, we had a young guy as a customer with some red, turbo Dodge. His license plates were vanity plates, “XDANGERX”.

He often complained about getting pulled over.

No insurance company has ever asked what color my car is. I have owned one red car in my life, and for the five years I had it, never got pulled over.* It being a Toyota Corolla may have had something to do with that, however.

*I misremembered. I did get pinched once for speed on Fort Irwin Road.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: egregore,

In the early 70s I had a RED Datsun 2000. Hot rod 5 speed. front discs & a few more horse power than the Datsun 1600. Think "Austin Healey 3000" but with shock absorbers & a heater.

In nearly 2 years I was stopped at least 2x a month for various claims of speeding etc. Including a shakedown between Tacoma/Seattle on the FREEWAY for doing "72".... Never a ticket, what does that say. One Trooper between Sandy & Gresham Oregon pulled me over to ask 'what's your gas MPG?' I told him in 5th gear that speed , about 33 mpg? What's HIS? He scowled, laughed and told me to 'watch it' and left.

Finally I had some body work done & repainted SILVER. Same roads, same driver. NOT ONE STOP in the following year.

Don't know if it's still true but 20 years ago some college did a study and determined that red cars have a higher rate for speeding citations than any other color. That same study also found that 74% of all speeding citations were for cars traveling in the left lane. It's why I drive a gray car and why when I'm on a trip I only use the left lane for passing. I also wait until I'm sitting in a nice big gap in the right lane to do a bit of catching up. One time I was doing 85 eastbound on the New York Thruway and a statie going west bound could have had me nailed to the wall if he had simply took the time to check my speed.

And if it has a thin stripe down the side (not red) like my '84 mustang, it's even worse. Racing stripe.
Yeah, I'm in Michigan.

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Originally posted by Gene Hillman:
My Corvette convertible insurance is $528 per year. My Nissan Altima 4 banger is $1,042 a year. Both are red. Same coverage. Figure that one out!

What years are they?

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Originally posted by HRK:
Nope, tain't true.. Here's yer fack check

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"It's not true, we're going to jack up your rates no matter what color it is!"

If Allstate told me the sky was blue, I wouldn't believe them.

Yup. She ain't lying.